HOUSTON – A trip to the gas station led to a headache for one man who says his landscaping truck and equipment were stolen in a matter of seconds.
A surveillance video shows a red car pulling into a southwest Houston gas station on 16950 S. Post Oak Road, where a man ran out, got into the Harry’s Lawn and Garden truck that was hauling a trailer and took off.
“To watch it on the surveillance video, (to see) someone, in 10 seconds, take away what took 30 years to achieve is very disheartening," said Harry Yianitsas, the owner of Harry’s Lawn and Garden.
Yianitsas truck and trailer were stolen 10 days ago. It was later found, but the trailer was cleaned out.
“The total cost of what was taken that day was around $40,000 dollars,” he said.
Two days ago, Yianitsas took yet another hit. While his crew was working on a house, another piece of equipment was stolen at this residential area.
“It was a guy that jumped out of the car and jumped into the truck grabbed the blower and got back in the car,” Yianitsas said.
He said he's had to take out a loan out to buy new equipment to service his customers so they don't get impacted, but he says he and his family will feel the brunt of it.
"We will be feeling it for another year. This is a hard hit. It has definitely put a damper on our Christmas,’” Yianitsas said.
Anyone with information on either incidents should call Houston police.